Dont miss this one. It smokes!

Always had fun at the Byrne/meadowlands although the security issue in 88 was a REAL Bummer with that kid getting killed.

I know someone that was shot at the Byrne at the who concert in late 82. shot by marshalls enforcing injuction against selling at the arena.

On this night you could run across the parking lot and catch the Hagler/Sugar Ray Leonard fight at the Race track

Hard to find crisp SBDs in 87~I dig this Matrix..I saw shows in the Meadowlands from 85-89 and always had a good time..It's proximity to NYC brought tons of HIGH energy..I enjoyed this show and sat right by the SBD next to Bill Walton.. Interesting set lists..what still sticks with me from this show is the!!Jack Straw!! Stranger 2nd set opener and the beautiful Terrapin out of space..People get caught up in the security problem of East Rutherford..but some fine shows took place at this venue over the years~~IF YOU GET CONFUSED~LISTEN TO THE MUSIC PLAY..Give It A Whirl>Forever Grateful>Forever Dead~!!!

I liked this show at the time and upon another listen it holds up. Cumberland Blues seems like a difficult song to play, we always rooted for them to pull it off and this one is great fun. I remember watching them start Terrapin out of nowhere after Space and just enjoyed the hell out of it. Listen guys, I grew up in Paterson ten miles away from the Byrne Arena, and the trick to dealing with Jersey Meathead security is you gotta tell them TO FUCK OFF, with authority, and they will. Learn to box, be ready to throw down and they fold like a tent every time. These bullies prey on the weak, and they smell blood. Security does not mean obedience . Oh well, I guess it's too late anyway. This is a nice recording - good job.

I had the great pleasure of being front row at this show, so I am probably a bit biased but this show rocked. Dancin>Franlkin's, Jack Straw>Deal to end the 1st set, Terrapin out of space. Not the greatest show ever but I'll take it any day. It was all good stuff. Great to hear it again.

But I would like to ask a question or two of the Deadheads here. It seems like we all have had similar experiences and that any night could have held special meaning to us. What is it about the Dead, even on a bad night, there was a moment that struck a nerve ? The silence between notes, a simple riff, maybe the lights.
One of my most memorable was an 87 MSG show. I'd had the worst day of my young life, dragged my wife to Chinatown and bitched for the first set, subjecting her to an hours worth of pity, ignoring the time. When I fully vented, we cabbed it up and got in during second set. the first few notes of Fire on the Mountain. Second level, the dancers were ringing the walkway and the whole arena was lit in an indigo. It was warm, September, I felt the sweat and excitement. Like being in the womb. Nothing mattered, no cares. How frivolous it is to dwell on my own little misery, I thought, how selfish. And this is as close to heaven as I will come in a crowd. Everyone was of the same mind, with that deep blue neon light bathing us, and those SOUNDS. It can't be described, especially by a semi literate like myself, but there was feeling that soaked into us, that soothed, a state of grace. All is human, every flaw and misdeed forgiven, what we share far exceeds our differences. Love.
I'm interested to know your stories. Have you all felt this at one time or another, with or without psychedelics?

This was a great show, enjoy it! The Jack Straw is smokin'! I vaguely remember being at this show, its all a fog now! Great times. It was either this show, or another 1987 Meadowlands show, a storm passed through, and on one side of the horizon, were these beautiful dark passing storm clouds, very dramtic, beautiful and moving, and on the other side of the horizon was also beautiful parting white clouds, with a crystal clear gorgeous rainbow. I've never forgotten that moment. It really added to the amazing feeling outside the show, the excitement before the show. It was a moment in time and space. Remember the jam. RIP Jerry Garcia , you gave more than you got.

these shows in the Meadowlands we really good shows. This Jack Straw>Deal is just awesome. During Jack Straw, Phil is laying bass bombs at the end all over and the crowed is loving it.

The energy is there throughout the show. It's worth the download if you got the know how :)

The way you sound reviewing this show like you are some ruler on what is cool is just so incredibly lame...you prompt the every popular and likely too intellectual question for your minescule mind to answer but here it is anyway: who is jerry? Is it '69-'72 or is it '85-'95. The dead are what they are- if you choose to just like one year of music then fine- why are you even on the 1987 area anyway?

Comments like yours insult the very cerebral discussion of music and the evolution of the dead, like other bands over time- thankfully we had time to enjoy it-soundd like you wasted yoru time and never 'got' it and now have an axe to grind. Get a life...loser.

This show rocks...!

anyone who thinks this show sucks just doesn't like the grateful dead. this show crackles with energy, at like the second verse or so, of franklin's you hear the audience get psyched up and then jerry, and it sounds like mickey, respond with a little more revved up response.
this epitomizes dead shows for me. don't even get me started on the jack straw. it's gotta be one of the sickest versions they ever played. jerry does a fanning string bend in his solo that erupts the place like a volcano. he uses this same lick in that amazing morning dew at the garden later this same year in the fall. they always stepped it up when they played in n.y.c.

this is a bad show....and brent sucks....get over it.....only a deadhead would take offense to someones opinion.....stated in a non-offensive way. jerry is a shell of himself by this point....anybody who listens to this without figuring that out is under the "the grateful dead can do no worng" category....its cuz of people like the reviewer under this that the "hippie" scene is the most obnoxious scene to be around

At the time I wrote this I was very intoxicated. I was so fucking embarssed when i came across this. I didnt even remember writing this until I saw it referenced in another show i reviewed. This does not reflect the kind of person I am. My bad and apologies for this and any other drunken bullshit I may hav written here. wont happen again. I Dont drink anymore

let's just be nice and enjoy the music

you know nothing. and im quite certain all you have to do in life is come into online communities like this one, and type gibberish that is intended to ellicit a dramatic response.

but i will try and explain to your stupid ass a few things in hopes that you abandon the fucking ASININE viewpoint that jerry was a shell of his former self in 1987 and beyond.

the mindset that jerry was on the downside of his career post 1985 has more to do w/ his consistency than what he was capable of on any given night. when he was on, there were nights post 1985 that stood with anything the band did up till then.

He was on this night. Was it his best show of the year? No,any head w/ half a brain and some taste knows that the best show of 87 was msg 9-18-87, by a landslide. But the jack straw axe work in this show is proof that jerry still had it well into the 80's - and the deal that followed was sick as well. Unfortunately, their momentum was not sustained going into the second set, and they had to re-build, and did catch heat out of space w/ a pretty tight terrapin>other one. Overall, a very solid show, with a few amazing highlights. it wasnt one of those smoking shows from start to finish, but if they smoked every night, we wouldnt appreciate the band as much. I always appreciated nights when jerry stunk but was trying.

Why not downloadable???

Everybody remembers this tour because Jerry rose from his deathbed and started it all over again. This show is a good example of the tour. Well played but reserved in it's exploration of the tunes. Jer does a great job singing though and the band is noticeably excited to be back.

Highlights are the Space> Terr> Other One, which really gets cooking. Pre Drums is very short, as are drums and space at 6 minutes each.

Overall this tour is kinda average but still high in energy and excitement.

This is a special show for me...sounds like a lot of us got our initiation during that Sp87 tour....my first shows were the Hartford shows the last week of March, then these, on my home turf. I guess if for no other reason, they would always be special, but I tell you, watching thousands bop together to Sugar Mag was just unbelievable! And that Dancin is just as good as the ones from 95 before Jerry got sick. A decent show all in all.

Got lucky again. After my first show on 4/4, I got to see the final version ever of "Dancin'," my first "Franklin's Tower," and the rare "Terrapin" coming out of space (a great spot for this song). Great memories, and a great listen. Check it out - an important show (if for the final "Dancin" alone) and well played.

Jboy - do you ever think anything you don't say?

In response to the thoughtful, kind, and insightful words of that most eloquent of reviewers, Dark Star 11/11/73, I just wanted to reply by saying...and I mean this in the nicest way possible... Go Fuck Yourself You Worthless Malignant Fuck! Hugs and Kisses... NAMASTE!

nice show, we need more negitivity from that wannabe darkstar guy below..lol. what a joke, anyway, show is great. Brent = On fire, so is rest of band. Live on 80's dead!

This was a great tour. Jerry was sober and the band was on fire. The Jack Straw is amazing, and so is the Terrapin>Other One. The bad part about this show was the lack of jamming. I really enjoyed being there....cm

I thought this show was great maybe it was the Jell. Great stuff! IMHO The band sounded really good. Jerry was dynamic for being in a coma within the last year. Remember it's said that he had to re-learn the strings. Doing it all that fast is F**kin' awesome. I know people that have been playin the dead for 25 years and aren't as good as Capt. Tripps this day. So download it if you like Good music. I really can't stand the negativity people throw in these reviews because they like the Pig-Pen era or the sound of Keith. Both Great but Brent added the thunder behind the storm and if you pay attention to the music he did a great job. Gayboy, I mean Jboy obviously didn't except Brent for what he was "a great musician" Been to very many shows and the vibe was great on this perticular evening ! Try it Mikey Likes it!!! Peace!

Very good recording of a good show. It was nice to see the Dancin, had no idea it would be the last one. Nice cumberland . I dig the terripan out of space, a great Stella Blue. Thanks again archive for bringing back the good memories

Why would you write a song for song review of a 3 star show, or in your words a 2 1/2 star show? Whatever.
This is a fairly decent show for spring 87, nice matrix. The night before is probably the best of the tour. Definitely check out the Jack Straw, hot stuff there. Good for filler on something else. I thought the 2nd set was pretty good, not death defying, but I dug it. I looked at this one because of the off kilter setlist. 87 does have lots of stock setlists, but hey, the big man almost died last year!

1st Set: So, it's the final "Dancin...," huh? Undeniably a surprise... this version is good-time chill but the vocals are thin, and the outro jam's ambition is non-existant. "Franklin"'s is well-played but again rather abrupt and lacks that dynamic construct. Jerry provides the inspiration for a standard "Rooster." "Peggy" has a comforting stroll. "Uncle"'s got an assertive backbeat, wish there was more spitfire in the vocals. "Mexicali" is professional, tho to Weire' credit, his rhythm is sounding crisp. "Push" is 'Push.' Blah. "Jack" promises some power and they deliver; Jerry's casacading climactic drive is wonderful. "Deal" segues in on a high, but only continues in standard fashion.

2nd Set: "Stranger," uh-oh...I sense a '1st set songs thrown in 2nd set' feel tonight. Ideally these songs would be extended cause they're being reserved for the meat of the gig. Too bad these ideals are rarely realized. "Stranger" is muted, "Cumberland" is sung without urgency and the music's bland. Yay, "Tons..." ehhhh... Wow, a "Saint" too... Geez, they are determined to shush up this Meadowlands crowd. Face it, 'Saint' always opens awkwardly when not preceded by a 'Sailor.' There's some tense Jerry work building to the climax that Bobby kills by mistiming most of his yelps. After the requisite "Drums/Space," we're treated to a weakly sung "Terrapin," tho Mydland injects some intensity with his synths...This "OO" is rather jazzy but doesn't deviate far from the theme. "Stella"'s quite a fine version. "Sugar" is run of the mill, but the residue from "Stella" brings me to tears when Jerry chooses to encore with "Black Muddy." Just an incredible reservoir of warmth and humanity in those scracthy pipes of that cherubic man.

More of a 2 1/2 than three... But I've been told people will like you more if you slightly inflate what their fair grade should be.

Another quality recording posted by Jonathan Aizen. I am not sure who he is but all the recordings he has posted have sounded pretty great to me. This recording is no different. It has that Meadowlands sound but itÃÂÃÂs pretty clear for and audience recording and the performances are great. DancinÃÂÃÂ, Space into Terrapin. Good stuff. 4 stars.

THis show was so exsplosive i remember that dancin' was best ever & that phil was dropping hints everywhere, Awesome terrapin if not the best download this Show. Enjoy

I loved the Spring '87 East Coast shows that I was at. They would be the Hartford and Worchester shows and this show.

Sadly I feel I went to one show too many that tour, this show.

I won't argue that the set list is not damn good. And for that matter I'm sure playing was top notch too.

The thing is, the Meadowlands is just a slightly better venue than Hell for me. After being on my home turf for Hartford and the pleasant New England vibe of Worchester, the Meadowlands location and Nazi security put me in a bad mood before the show even started.

I was aware of the cool songs being played but my mind was distracted by the drive back to New Haven I knew I had to do and in retrospect the travesty taking place in Las Vegas that night (Ray Leonard "beating" Marvin Hagler) added a post-script of ill will to that whole night.

That being said, I'm looking forward to listening to this show to see what I missed, especially Terrapin>Other One.

Agree with the others - this one is for the ages...

I was at this show and always remembered it as smokin, much better than the next night. Hot 1st set - the last Dancin ever, Phil dropping bombs galore on J. Straw. The 2nd set is short on jamming, but the post drums is the real deal. The outro to Terrapin is insane, then it rolls into a cookin Other One. Also, this Matrix is a big improvement over the aud. Download now!

this show is hot! the sound is an A++ aud. a nice blend of crowd energy with well balanced recording levels - deep rich up-front sound. The show is hot too - the dancin>franklins starts the show in 5th gear. the jack straw is on fire;

what to speak of the stranger who has the cumberland blues like 900k tons of steal but who meets the saint of circumstance in the space of terrapin station and the other one, stella blue, who planted a sugar magnolia down by the black muddy river.

i rank this up there with the MSG show that is so popular.